It Was For Real Ryley Week Oneshots
by Jennoist-OTP
Summary: Oneshots prompted by the daily themes of Ryley week! kid!ryley, meeting the parents, and different decade. Also known as fluff, fluff, and more fluff! Rated T just in case for the latter 2 themes.
1. The Big Day

**This is the first of my probably 3 one-shots for Ryley week! I hope you enjoy, this one is a good bit of silly fun, after all, it is for the theme 'kid!ryley' :)**

**Title: **_**THE BIG DAY**_

**Summary: **_**6 year olds Marley and Ryder decide to get married in the schoolyard, and it proves to be the biggest social event of the William McKinley Elementary School first grade's year.**_

It had all started one afternoon, during afternoon break time. The boys from the first grade had had their ball confiscated by Mrs Pillsbury after one of them had kicked it a little too wildly, hitting little Celeste in the face so hard that her Mommy had to be called to take her to the ER; she came back into school a couple of days later, proudly sporting a badge that said _"I was brave at the hospital", _and, more noticeably, a rather impressive neck brace.

Therefore, ball games were banned in the schoolyard, and the boys were bored, and reduced to sitting forlornly on the benches, watching the girls gossiping, or playing pretend games like 'Mommies and Daddies'.

"What're we gonna do now?" Sam asked grumpily, folding his arms and pouting. "Why'd you have to go and kick that ball so hard Jake? This is all _your fault."_

"Is not!" Jake protested.

"Is to!" replied Sam.

"Is not!"

"Is to!"

"Boys, stop arguing or you'll both be sent inside to help Miss Pillsbury tidy up for the rest of break, would you like that?" Miss Sylvester barked from across the yard. Sam and Jake quickly piped down, and the group sighed.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Sam asked again in frustration.

"There's only one thing left to do before we _die_ of boredom," Artie announced melodramatically. "We'll have to go and play with the _girls!"_

The rest of their little gang gulped and groaned, but eventually agreed that they had to do something with their precious break time. Huddling together like penguins for protection, they sheepishly walked over to where the girls in their class were chatting and eagerly brushing their dolls' hair. They gradually began to realise that they were no longer alone, and turned warily, wondering why on earth the 'smelly boys' had decided to come over to them.

"What do _you _want?" Kitty Wilde, a pretty blonde girl, the ringleader of their group, asked with a certain level of disgust.

"We can't play with our ball anymore and we're bored," Jake explained. "We wondered if…_you _might play with us…"

The girls giggled excitably at Jake's suggestion- they hadn't expected the boys to ever want to play with them, especially since they had hurt Celeste.

"We're gonna need to discuss this amongst ourselves." Kitty announced with a pout, imitating what she had heard her Mommy do on the phone when taking work calls. The girls gathered together in a huddle and whispered and giggled for about a minute, leaving the boys to exchange confused, perhaps even slightly scared glances amongst themselves. The girls finished their discussion, and turned to face the boys with wicked grins on their faces.

"You have to play _weddings _with us." Kitty announced.

"Weddings?" The boys answered in unison, the confusion and fear emanating from their voices.

"How do you play weddings?" Sam asked, earning loud sighs from the girls.

"Ugh, boys are _so_ stupid!" Kitty declared. "It's easy," she explained. "One of you and one of us have to get married, and some of us girls can be bridesmaids, and another one of you can be the best man, and one of us can be the vicar, and the rest can be guests! It's a wedding, DUH!" She added, after listing the potential roles.

"Ewww," Artie started. "I don't wanna get married to a girl, girls are _stupid." _

"Well one of you has to," Unique piped in. The boys looked at each other and shuffled their feet. None of them were particularly enamoured by the idea of 'marrying' a 'stupid girl'.

Ryder Lynn, a quiet, shy boy, finally made the sacrifice, since it seemed no one else would.

"I'll do it." He sighed. "Who do I have to marry?" He asked Kitty.

"You choose, not us." she told him pointedly. Ryder gulped, wishing he could back out. He scanned the line of girls looking up at him expectantly. His eyes fell on little Marley Rose, an equally shy child. She was a pretty little girl, who would surely grow up to be stunning, and Ryder thought that she would be the least annoying wife out of the group.

"I pick Marley," he declared. Marley looked up, evidently surprised at having been chosen, and gave a small smile, her cheeks turning pink. Kitty looked slightly disappointed that she wouldn't get to be the centre of attention this time, but continued anyway.

"You can't just pick, you have to _propose." _She giggled. The boys behind Ryder sniggered loudly, and he gulped, before nervously approaching the girl. He stopped, then turned to the rest of the group.

"I don't have a ring…"

"Here," Unique exclaimed, pulling a plastic toy ring off her finger and handing it to Ryder. Ryder nodded and looked up, to see Marley standing before him, the faintest of smiles etched across her face, biting her nails nervously. He stumbled forward until he was right in front of her, and lowered himself to the ground until he was down on one knee.

"Marley…will you marry me?" He stammered out. Marley simply nodded in reply, and her friends squealed with delight as if it were real. Ryder slipped the plastic ring on to her finger and stood up, turning to Kitty.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Now we have to get ready for the wedding," Kitty explained. "Let's have it on Friday."

X

And so Friday had come around, and the big day was here. When Miss Pillsbury let out her class for afternoon break, the children cheered and ran eagerly to the yard, apart from the bride Marley, and her bridesmaids Kitty and Unique, who, with their teacher's permission, galloped towards the dressing up box and pulled out some old dresses, putting them on over their clothes and waddling out towards the yard trying not to trip, the dresses clearly having been designed for girls much older than 6.

The rest of the boys and girls were by now arranged in their correct positions, the 'guests' standing on two sides forming an 'aisle', Ryder and his 'best man' Jake were stood at the front alongside Artie, the 'vicar'. Kitty and Unique positioned themselves behind little Marley, who was approached by Rory, who had had a mock beard and moustache quickly scribbled onto his face in black felt tip, which he would no doubt be scolded for later by Mrs Pillsbury.

"Hello daughter," he giggled, putting on a mock deep voice and holding his arm out for Marley to hold onto, which she did. Some of the older kids in the yard stopped playing for a moment to watch on in bemusement as the 'ickle first graders' began to hum what was supposed to be a wedding march, but was in reality a poorly executed but passionate set of humming to various different tunes that they had picked up from television. As the other children sang, Rory, Marley, Kitty and Unique walked down the aisle, until they reached the front, where Ryder looked sheepishly at his 'bride'. Silence fell, and Artie could begin his service.

"Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys," he began dramatically. "We are here to watch Ryder and Marley get married, cos they're in looooooooove," he announced, and the boys and girls burst into a fit of giggles, aside from Marley and Ryder, who both frowned and turned red, protesting heavily.

"So, blah blah…" Artie mumbled, not being bothered to make up much more and wanting to get on to the important bit. "Ryder, do you take Marley to be your wife?"

"I do," Ryder stuttered.

"Good. Marley, do you take Ryder to be your husband?"

"I do," Marley affirmed.

"Exchange the rings," Artie demanded, and Marley and Ryder retrieved more of Unique's plastic toy rings from Kitty and Jake, before slipping onto each other's tiny fingers. They looked up at Artie.

"Now what?" Ryder asked.

"I now pronounce you man and wife!" Artie shouted, and the children cheered. "You may kiss the bride!" With that, the guests burst out into raucous laughter. The pair blushed again, and Ryder looked at Marley nervously, before turning back to Artie.

"But we're only six…" He started. Artie merely shrugged and folded his arms, determined to see it happen. Ryder sighed and turned back to Marley, who spoke up.

"Could you just kiss me on the cheek? My Mommy says I'm not allowed to properly kiss boys until junior high…" she told him. Ryder nodded, gulped, and quickly pecked her on the cheek, before wiping his mouth out of embarrassment. The children cheered again, and Marley and Ryder smiled bashfully at one another. The big day was complete.

**So I hope you enjoyed that! If you could leave me a quick review or comment below, I would be extra specially grateful- and/or click 'follow' if you want to keep up with my other ryley week stuff- I aim to have 2 out later in the week for 'meeting the parents' and 'different decade'.**

**PS. If you are reading Ryder's Chance, chapter 14 was out last Wednesday 30****th****, but with having to finish off stuff for Ryley week, I don't think I'll be able to finish chapter 15 until next week. Sorry, and thank you for being so patient!**

**Thanks, **

**Lauren xxx **


	2. Meeting the Lynns

**Hey guys, thanks for your response to 'The Big Day'! I hope you are all enjoying ryley week, I know I am, especially since the one and only **_**Blake Jenner tweeted me on Monday! **_**(Sorry if you follow me on tumblr or twitter and have heard this all before, but I'm milking it for all it's worth as it's probably the coolest thing that's ever going to happen to me in my entire life :p) So anyway, I hope you enjoy this too! It's for day 6 of ryley week, and the theme; 'meeting the parents'.**

**Title: Meeting the Lynns**

**Summary: Marley finally meets her boyfriend Ryder's parents…just not in the way she wanted…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee! If I did, Ryley would obviously be canon and endgame…**

As Ryder drove carefully along the road from school to his house, he noticed the tensed up manner in which his girlfriend Marley sat beside him in the passenger seat.

"Babe, relax! They're gonna love you, I know it." He said softly, attempting to reassure her, to little success.

"I'm scared Ry," she admitted, leaning back in the seat and looking up towards the car roof. "They know exactly what happened last year…they know I _stupidly, so stupidly _went after Jake when you had to postpone our date…they won't think I'm good enough for you, and you know what the worst thing is-?" She asked, as Ryder pulled into his driveway. "The worst thing is, they'll be right."

"Marls, don't say that!" He implored, as he neatly parked and switched off the engine, before turning to her and taking both her hands. "What they _know," _he told her, "is that you make their son the happiest dude ever, and that these past couple months with you have been the best of his life. Now please, stop looking so scared, and let's go inside. They're still at work anyway, so you've got plenty of time to psych yourself up and have some quality alone time with yours truly." He was rewarded with a forced smile from his girlfriend, but she didn't look in anyway convinced. In any case, they both got out of the car and joined hands again, Ryder giving Marley a comforting squeeze, before entering his house.

"Wow…" Marley started, as she walked into the hallway. It was like a palace compared to the tiny home she shared with her Mother, which was the place she and Ryder would hang out if they didn't want to go anywhere special, given that Marley had been so terrified to meet his parents, particularly his Mom. She had put off meeting the Lynns for as long as possible, until they reached their two month anniversary a couple of weeks ago, when Ryder insisted that it was high time she bit the bullet and came round for a family dinner. He of course didn't need to worry about the symbolic 'meeting the parents' introduction, as he had had his school lunch served by Millie Rose for a while now, and they got on like a house on fire.

"It's not usually this clean," Ryder chuckled, gesturing at the pristine hallway, which his mother had frantically cleaned yesterday in anticipation of the 'special guest'.

"Can I see your bedroom?" Marley asked, and Ryder nodded and lead the way upstairs and into a much messier room, with dark blue walls, a single bed, and clothes scattered all over the place.

"Hmm. This is tidy," Marley announced sarcastically. A look of guilt flashed across her boyfriend's face, and she felt bad. "I'm only teasing Ry. I don't care at all." Ryder smiled sincerely and lounged on his bed, whilst Marley examined her surroundings. She stepped over a pair of jeans to look more closely at the framed photos proudly displayed on top of his chest of drawers. There were a couple of him, Jake and Sam, alongside one of the Glee Club backstage at regionals, and she grinned as she saw that right at the front with pride of place was the picture of the two of them that they had taken on their date to Breadstix three weeks ago. One final photo caught her eye, and she giggled quite uncontrollably as she picked up a small frame holding a picture of a grinning little boy with several missing teeth- presumably a young Ryder.

"Is this you?" She managed to ask through the laughter, and Ryder groaned as he saw the photo she was showing him.

"Oh crap…I should have hid that before you came over…" he mumbled. "It's me smiling cos the tooth fairy gave me a dollar overnight," he added, chuckling.

"Well…puberty served you well…" Marley suggested, rather boldly for her, and went to sit next to Ryder on his bed, where he immediately pulled her into his arms, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"How are you feeling now, babe?" He asked, wanting to make sure that she was more at ease. Marley simply sighed.

"Still worried…" she admitted. "Have you got any more old photos to distract me?" She asked with a wicked grin.

"No way." Ryder replied. "It's bad enough you saw one photo of my dorky childhood self, I'm already never gonna live that down. There's no way you're having _more _to laugh at!" He chuckled, brushing a strand of long brown hair out of her face.

"Aww please!" She protested, with a stubborn pout. "I feel better about this evening when I have something to take my mind off it."

"Well, how about this instead?" He asked with a smirk, and bent down to press his lips on to hers. He felt her smile slightly as she happily kissed him back, and pretty soon, chaste pecks on the lips had turned into hungry, sloppy kisses. They didn't go any further than this, because they didn't yet feel the need to- they were both self-conscious and both happy with the relationship as it was for now.

But time seemed to fly whenever they kissed like this, and that was apparently the case here, because they didn't stop until they were interrupted by a loud gasp. They parted abruptly, to see Mrs Lynn standing wide eyed before them…not only had they failed to notice her come inside the house, they had also failed to close the door.

"Mom…we didn't hear you…" Ryder blurted out in an attempt to diffuse some of the awkward tension that hung in the air. Fortunately, Mrs Lynn's face curled into a highly amused grin.

"Well…you must be Marley!" She laughed, and Marley felt her cheeks burn red.

"It's…very nice to meet you Mrs Lynn…" she mumbled, her voice giving away, as if her expression hadn't, just how mortified she was.

"Well I see you two are getting on just wonderfully," she smirked, clearly enjoying the opportunity to embarrass her son and his new girlfriend.

"Mom!" Ryder snapped through gritted teeth. His Mother was unfazed, and only laughed more.

"Ryder your Father's just gotten home too, why don't you introduce him to Marley whilst I start cooking dinner?" She suggested, and Ryder nodded, before she left the room, her chuckles echoing as she walked downstairs. He then turned to Marley, who looked so embarrassed she might start to cry.

"Well…I told you she'd like you," he suggested, a small smile creeping at the corners of his mouth. "Shall we go downstairs?"

Marley closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then nodded reluctantly, quickly jumping up to look in the mirror and fix her hair. She felt more embarrassed and ashamed than she ever had done in her entire life- but little did she know that in the years to come, they would laugh about this moment together.

**Hope you enjoyed it! I will be publishing a final Ryley week one-shot tomorrow for the theme 'different decade'. After that, my focus will be back solely on Ryder's Chance (I hope to get the next chapter out this Monday to Wednesday :) Also, I hope you enjoyed A Katy Or A Gaga. I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it yet but let's just say I'm now stanning Marley more than ever…**

**To my ever so kind reviewers for the kid!ryley oneshot:**

_**Ember411: **_**Woop for ryley! They're actually getting some joy in these oneshots, haha. Me too, but sadly it wasn't possible this week! But in the meantime, there'll be another oneshot tomorrow, and, as I said, chapter 15 will be out hopefully in a couple of days :)**

_**Gleeatic713: **_**Aw, I'm glad you thought it was cute, I hoped people would! Oh, thanks for letting me know! That's good, because I think I'm gonna start 'Clean Slate' first :) in fact, I'm going to start properly planning it once ryley week is over, but I'm not gonna start writing/posting it until I get back in the regular rhythm of updating Ryder's Chance- which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. I will keep you posted though, of course!**

_**Camypoo: **_**Aw yay! I'm so pleased :') Btw, your Ryley week stuff is just…ugh…every day, so so good!**

_**Savannaramirez35:**_** Thanks! Glad you liked it! Hope you enjoyed the fluffy goodness here too :)**

_**KlaineForeverLover07: **_**I'm so happy you enjoyed the first one, I hope you liked this one too! Also loving your ryley week stuff as well :D**

_**Ryleyjennoist: **_**The cutest ever?! Wow, you flatter me so much! Glad you enjoyed it!**

**Until tomorrow! (exciting)**

**Lauren xxx**


	3. Thoroughly Modern Marley

**Title: Thoroughly Modern Marley**

**Summary: It's the beginning of the roaring twenties, and small town girl Marley Rose has decided to search for stardom in New York City. Arriving terrified and alone in the big city, she fears she may have made a mistake- until a thrilling and rebellious encounter with a Mr Ryder Lynn on her very first night.**

Marley Rose hauled her overflowing suitcase out of Grand Central Station, and, for the very first time, got a proper look at New York City itself. She looked up in awe at the forest of buildings, some of which must have been dozens, if not hundreds of stories high. After twenty-two long, boring years in Lima, Ohio, she had finally made it to the greatest city on Earth, and she was going to be a star…somehow.

The first thing Marley needed to do was to find somewhere to rest for a few nights until she found somewhere to live, preferably a cheap hotel in a safe but central area. She had no idea if that would be an easy thing to find, or if it would possible at all, but the first step to making that happen would be to leave the safety of the sidewalk and venture out onto one of the wide New York City streets. So with that in mind, she took a deep breath, picked up her suitcase, and stepped out into the road, only to immediately squeal in terror and jump back at the sound of a piercingly loud horn. Startled, she looked to her left, to see an imposing and very close motor car, which had been forced to stop in its tracks. The disgruntled driver leant out the window.

"Look before you cross the road, lady!" He shouted, before driving off…well Marley was pretty sure that was what he had said; she had never been out of Ohio before, and the New York accent was even stronger and more peculiar than she had been warned- this also meant she was not used to coming across motor cars, for hardly anyone in Lima could afford such a modern extravagance, but Marley had to remind herself that she was in New York now, and it was 1922; a new world, a modern one. Shaking, she waited until she was absolutely sure it was safe to cross, before timidly scurrying to the other side of the road, as fast as she could with her heavy luggage in tow.

Five hours, four near motor car collisions, and three bouts of tears later, Marley had still not found a place to stay. It was getting dark, and she was traipsing around narrow streets somewhere in Manhattan, completely lost and finally understanding all her Mother's warnings about a young woman going to a big city all by herself. She stopped walking about to set down her suitcase and give her hands a rest, which had been rubbed raw from hauling it around for so long. As she felt the tears come again, and heard scary noises coming from a dark nearby alleyway, she imagined how her family and so called friends back in Ohio, all the people who had doubted her, would receive a telegram explaining how meek Marley Rose had gone and gotten herself killed on her very first night in New York, and they would all sigh, and look to the sky and mutter 'I told you so.'

As she looked around aimlessly, trying to shake the unpleasant idea from her head, she noticed a sign on a building, barely legible in the dim late night light. 'Lynn's Inn'. _A place to stay. _Marley grabbed her luggage and stumbled down the alley in the inn's direction. Praying the owner would still be awake, she dropped her suitcase with a thud and banged on the door with all her might. A couple of minutes later a woman opened it, her eyes widening at the sight of the bedraggled young lady before her.

"I'm awfully sorry to bother you so late, Madam…Lynn?" Marley rambled, as the woman nodded. "But I've been looking for a roof for so long I've become quite desperate. I'll pay as much as I need, for so much as a blanket on the floor if you will."

"Oh nonsense." The woman replied. "We are a fully functioning small hotel, we have rooms free, come inside at once, dear, else you'll catch a chill and freeze to death." Marley nodded gratefully, and allowed the kind landlady to lead her in to the small lobby.

"If you don't mind, I was just heating the water in my bathtub, might I leave you in the company of my son? He's the heir to the business, he knows what he's doing."

"Oh, of course. Thank you Madam." Marley replied politely.

"Ryder!" The woman called up the nearby staircase. "Ryder!"

"Coming, Ma," a voice called back, before footsteps could be heard, and, seconds later, Marley was face to face with yet another thing she hadn't expected to find on this day of new beginnings…undoubtedly, the most handsome man she had ever laid her wide blue eyes on. As he smiled kindly at her, she tried her very hardest (yet failed,) not to let her eyes wander over his crooked smile, dishevelled hair, sideburns which stretched almost down to his chin and the arms… Quickly shaking the impure thoughts from her mind, and remembering what Pastor Johnson back home had said about lustful thoughts before the holy union of matrimony being sinful, she tried to concentrate on what he was saying, as Mrs Lynn disappeared for her bath.

"How many nights are you staying Miss?" He asked warmly.

"Er…I don't know Sir…hopefully no more than two but I couldn't say so…can I pay when I leave?" She asked, as the young man chuckled.

"Sure, as long as you pay a deposit of one night's fee, which is $2." Marley winced at the slightly steep price, but nodded- she didn't have another option. "And don't call me sir," he continued. "I'm only 23 years of age. Call me Ryder. And I should call you?"

"Marley. Marley Rose." She answered. Once Ryder had finished taking down her details, and Marley had reluctantly parted with two dollars, he came around to the other side of the desk and handed her her room key, before picking up her suitcase and telling her to follow him.

"What…have you got…in here?" Ryder asked, as he struggled to pull it up the steep stairs.

"…My entire life," admitted Marley.

"What's an innocent young gal like you doin' with her entire life in a suitcase, traipsing round at 11 o'clock at night?" He inquired. Marley sighed, and refused to answer, knowing he would likely ridicule her, as she had been ridiculed by everyone else back home. "Let me guess," he continued. "You're here to be a star aren't ya?" Marley let out a large sigh, as she continued to follow him down a corridor.

"Is that a problem?" She asked coolly.

"I never said that," he backtracked with perhaps a slightly patronising grin. "I mean, if you're gonna do it, you're in the right place, but…"

"But?" She persisted.

"But hundreds of small town girls with stars in their eyes come to New York every month." He finished, as he stopped at a door and put the key in.

"Yeah well…I guess you're right. Because I'm not so sure about it now either." She told him dejectedly.

"Why so?"

"Because today was the scariest day of my life. This morning I thought I was a new, modern woman, but maybe I'm just meek Marley from Ohio after all…I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she sighed, walking through the door that was being held open for her and feeling relieved at the sight of a bed to call her own, for tonight at least. "Thank you Mr Lynn- I mean, Ryder. This is lovely." Ryder nodded, and went towards the door, before stopping, and turning around.

"You know…you seem like a cool gal who's just a bit down in the dumps…" he began. "I'm going out now…you wanna come? It might cheer you up…"

"What?!" She asked, shocked. "It's gone 11 o'clock and I don't even know you!"

"Marley…this is the first night of the rest of your life. Your first night in New York City, the greatest city on Earth. Do you wanna look back, in 10 years' time when you're lighting up Broadway, and some Hollywood big-shot is beggin' you to go star in a picture with Rudolph Valentino himself, and remember how you spent your first night here crying in some hotel room? Cos don't tell me you're not about to do that as soon as I close this door." He finished his speech, and Marley blushed. He could read her like a book, this man who she had met a mere ten minutes ago.

"I…thank you for your ever so kind offer, but…no. I really shouldn't." She replied, more reluctantly than she realised. Ryder gave a small resigned nod, and went to close the door, when a memory flashed over Marley's mind, of her Mother telling her how much she'd regret going to New York rather than finding a husband in Lima and having babies, and probably end up sad and crying on her first night there.

"Wait!" She called, and Ryder spun around. "…You're right…I shouldn't spend my first night in New York crying and lonely…can you wait five minutes so I can change?"

"Sure!" Ryder exclaimed, his handsome face stretching into a delighted grin.

Marley emerged a little longer after she had said she would, but Ryder immediately realised why- she had made an effort, to say the least. Her long brown curls had been re-brushed, and she was in a smarter –and slightly shorter- dress than before. He thought she was mighty swell looking girl. She gave him a shy smile, as he offered her his arm to hold, and they left the safety of the hotel. Ryder, who had evidently lived here his entire life, easily navigated them around the streets for a few minutes, before stopping outside an entirely un-suspect looking building…a little too un-suspect, which frightened Marley a little.

"What is this place?" she asked, her voice giving away her timidity.

"You'll see," he told her with a grin, and lead her inside. Marley gasped at the scene…it was a room crowded full of people around their age, laughing, singing and dancing to the accompaniment of a simply marvellous live jazz band, being entirely rowdy and inappropriate and…drinking? Was that a bar behind the crowds? Eyes widened, Marley turned to Ryder.

"Ryder, are these people…drunk?" she asked, worriedly, earning a chuckle from her handsome chaperone.

"I prefer the term, 'having a good time'." He laughed.

"But that's illegal! Have you taken me to a place that sells alcohol?" She inquired in a shocked tone, imagining her Mother's reaction if she knew her daughter was so close to that damned, banned liquid.

"Well sure, it's a speakeasy," he replied nonchalantly.

"A speakeasy?" She asked, and he laughed again.

"You really don't know what a speakeasy is? You really are a small town girl, aren't ya? It's a place that sells alcohol, you know…on the down low."

"But Ryder that's illegal! What about the prohibition?!" She shrieked, earning a few laughs from people who overheard.

"The prohibition," he began, "was designed by boring bible belters to stop cool cats having fun," he explained, with little regard for the law, as he lead Marley through the throng of people to the bar. On the way, Marley looked in awe at the infamous flapper girls with bobbed hair and sinfully short skirts, and felt jealous at the level of confidence they showed.

"Should I cut my hair like that?" She asked Ryder.

"Nah…in a couple years it'll have gone outta fashion, and they'll all be moaning waiting for it to grow back while you prance about with your pretty long locks."

"You presume an awful lot about my future, Mr Lynn." She smirked.

"Well, you'd better keep me in it, so I can see if I'm right," he winked. "Now what do you want to drink?"

"Oh no…I am _not _drinking."

"Oh yes you are," he told her, before turning to the barman. "I'll have the usual Tommy, and one for this pretty doll here." The barman nodded and ignored Marley's protestations, fixing Ryder's order.

Marley frowned as a vile, strong smelling cup of goodness knows what was passed to her, as Ryder thanked the barman and asked him to keep a tab.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Not telling. Just drink it. You'll feel better real quick." He grinned. "Look , it's exactly the same as mine, we can even swap if that's what you're worried about."

Marley frowned again, but reluctantly allowed Ryder to clink their glasses together and took a swig, before coughing and spluttering, much to the young man's amusement.

"You'll get the hang of it," he suggested.

"No I won't. I'm never drinking ever again." Marley announced.

…But she was wrong. Almost three hours and an uncountable amount of bizarre tasting drinks later, she and Ryder were as drunk as a pair of sailors, and dancing amongst the crowds in a way that…well, if Marley's mother had seen it, she would have been frogmarched to Pastor Johnson for a beating and 24 hours solitary confinement with nothing but a Bible and a glass of water. But it seemed the party was about to be over- Marley and Ryder's fun was interrupted by an almost stampede of people running and screaming. Ryder cursed, and grabbed Marley's hand.

"The cops are here, we've gotta scram," he told her hurriedly, causing her to shiver as he breathed into her ear.

"What?" She asked, the alcohol altering her reaction time.

"Now!" He yelled, and just as they saw uniformed policemen beginning to violently tackle the crowd, Ryder yanked Marley away to the back door, praying the establishment wasn't surrounded. Luckily, the backstreet behind the bar seemed to be quiet and empty, and Marley had no choice but to run along with Ryder, their hands still linked tightly, their drunkenness and fright causing them to trip and stumble countless times, until finally they arrived back at the oh so welcome doors of the Lynn's Inn, Ryder unlocking the door (on the third attempt) and the two of them walking in.

"Well darn," Ryder announced. "I've been going there near on two years and not a cop in sight…Imma have to find me a new drinking spot."

"I can't believe…on my first night in New York City…" Marley panted, still out of breath from their mad escape, "…that I allowed some strange, ruffian type fellow take me to an _illegal _place of low morals…"

"I would feel guilty," Ryder scoffed, slurring his words, "but you were enjoying every minute of it!"

Marley smirked back, and began to climb the steep stairs, clinging on to the bannister for dear life in the fear that she might drunkenly tumble to her death. She reached her room, despite everything seeming to spin, and noticed that Ryder had followed her.

"Ryder Lynn, what kind of girl do you think I am?!" She shrieked, as he hushed her as best he could.

"Relax, lady! I'm just saying good night. And asking you a question."

"And what is that?" She asked, tapping her foot.

"Will you marry me?" He slurred, smiling.

"Ryder! You are drunk, and we have only just met!" She exclaimed, giggling all the while.

"Well then…in that case I'll ask you again tomorrow…" he chuckled.

"I won't be here tomorrow," she sighed. "I'll be busy looking for a job, and a place to live."

"I can help you with that, I know my way around, and tomorrow's my day off," he told her, and was pleased to note that she smiled gratefully in return.

"G'night Miss Rose," he told her. "Oh wait…one more thing." With that, he grabbed her face and kissed her hard on the lips, feeling her melt into his arms and return his embrace.

"You're crazy," she giggled, as they parted.

"Crazy for you…" he finished, smiling as he disappeared down the hallway.

**Hope you enjoyed that! And that is the end of Ryley week. I thought this was probably the best of my 3 ryley week attempts, so I would really appreciate a review.**

****Just a note for those of you who don't know, the Prohibition laws were laws during 1920s America which banned the sale of alcohol (cough, boring :p), and, as Ryder said, 'speakeasies' were illegal bars, as it were. Just to clear things up if you were a bit confused :) ****

**To my reviewers from last time:**

_**Ember411: **_**Yes, I've seen them too! They were my inspiration for that part :) Will do!**

_**Camypoo: **_**Thanks! I would be mortified too! So glad you enjoyed it, and you are absolutely welcome!**

**Love from **

**Lauren xxx **


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